About This Print

One of 118 prints in the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan), issued in August 1877 to coincide with the opening of Japan’s first National Industrial Exposition (Naikoku Kangyō Hakurankai) held in Tokyo’s Ueno Park. It depicts workers preparing camphor 樟脳 in Hyūga province. Hyūga (日向国; Hyūga no kuni) was an old province of Japan on the east coast of Kyūshū, corresponding to the modern Miyazaki Prefecture. Hyūga bordered on Bungo, Higo, Ōsumi, and Satsuma Provinces. Camphor was widely produced throughout Kyūshū Island.

Japan Society of London member, Charles Archibald Mitchell, in his Inquiry Relating to Camphor in Japan 1897-1898 describes a very similar scene of camphor making to the one in this print.  To wit:

Transcription of Scroll

Source: with thanks to Yajifun http://yajifun.tumblr.com/

Camphor Manufacture in Hyūga Province 日向國樟脳製之圖

“樟脳ハ當國宮﨑郡諸村にて製す 楠に楠と樟の二種有り 則チ樟の根を細末にはすり?釜に入て煎じ出す 釜の上に冷水を入れたる箱をおき釜中湯の？（ワク）に随いひ蒸発して箱の底ニ凝着す 是則?樟脳也 支那人是を精製して龍脳となすといふ” ※ワク 騰

Multiple Editions (Variant Printings)

At least three variant printings (editions) were made of this series.  Each variant printing uses a different colored cartouche containing the series' title, either red, green or rainbow-colored.  Different colored borders were also used and variances in the use of colors and shading are present in the three editions.

¹ Camphor in Japan and in Formosa, Charles Archibald Mitchell, Chiswick Press, 1900, p. 12.